Spring Fieldwork Roundup

Here are fieldwork highlights from around our school this spring trimester:

 

Kindergartens made several visits to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge to explore, play and learn lots of important facts about wetlands, frogs and the life cycle. They presented their learnings in a wetland museum in their classroom on June 6th. 

 

Studying Native Animals at the Zoo

Studying Native Animals at the Zoo

1st and 2nd graders spent an amazing afternoon in April at Oxbow Regional Park learning about forests. They also learned about decomposers from 6th grade experts at Tryon Creek State Park and visited native NW forest animals at the Oregon Zoo. They hosted a forest celebration and poetry slam in their classroom on June 7th.

 

 

 

 

 

Visiting Longhouse in Ridgefield

Visiting Longhouse in Ridgefield

 

3rd graders were busy visiting sites all over the area to learn more about the Chinook tribe. They started at the Oregon Historical Society, then stopped by PSU for a tour of the archaeology department. They traveled to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge to see an authentic life-size replica of a Chinook longhouse, built on the site where a longhouse once stood. The class also ventured to Fort Vancouver and went on a tour led by the resident archaeologist. All of this rich learning culminated in the presentation of their own longhouse replica at PSU’s Archaeology Roadshow on June 4th. Whew- what a spring!

 

4th and 5th graders learned about urban coyotes from a Portland Urban Coyote Project representative earlier in the spring. They then pitched ideas on how to educate citizens about coexisting with coyotes in our city. This study incorporated a visit to Johnson Creek Park to think about the kind of places where coyotes live within an urban environment.

 

At Camp Gray, Omsi’s newest camp, the 6th graders learned about coastal ecology through hands on

On the Beach!

On the Beach!

experiences. They took a night hike and learned about predators and prey, took classes about squids, sharks, and survival skills, and bonded close together at campfire. The class explored tide pools and we even saved a wolf eel!

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Ferry to Bainbridge Island

On the Ferry to Bainbridge Island

The 7th and 8th graders had a blast on their trip to Seattle- the weather even cooperated! They have also been working in the South Waterfront on a mapping project which gets them out and about often.

 

 

 

 
It has been another full year for fieldwork at Southwest Charter. We’re looking forward to even more ways of working in our community next year. Have a great summer!

Tags:

Make a Donation to Help Further Place-Based Education!